Michael Jackson, Basij Brutality and #iranelection

When the women hit the barricades, the revolution is about to get serious. This anonymously smuggled and uploaded picture of a well-groomed Iranian woman with her headscarf, gloves, briefcase, and stones shows how close the Supreme Leader is to losing his power. The bit of hair showing under the scarf is a nod to her liberal fashion inclinations, and the rocks in her hands show her political sympathies. She's old enough to remember the 1979 Revolution, old enough that the young men in the background could be her sons.

Then Michael Jackson died. Michael Jackson's death briefly out-tweeted #iranelection. The coalescing Jackson and #iranelection tweets led me to two copyright infringing, riveting YouTube MTV-inspired mashups of political protest images and Jackson's socially aware lyrics.

Here's what happens when a good video editor mixes a dead pop-star's music, leaks in Iran's information blockade, the Internet, and the long-simmering Iranian rage against their government.

CAUTION: The links are not for the squeamish. This is a revolution, not a tea party.

"BEAT IT YOU FANATICS!!! GET OUT OF MY LAND!" set to the 1982's hit "Beat It" from the Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Uploaded today, June 26.

The creator commented, "You might find it hard to believe, but I was listening to this song on loop mode all morning yesterday thinking it goes great with protest photos of Iran. Unfortunately a few hours later I learned of his death. R.I.P Michael. We love MJ in Iran and he's always been as big a star here as anywhere else. We all grew up listening to him."

The "Iran Election Protest Anthem", set to 1996's "They Don't Really Care About Us" from the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I was uploaded June 24, 2009. Although the song reached the top 10 all over Europe, it got very little airplay in the USA because of claims it had anti-semitic lyrics. Jackson re-recorded the song to get rid of the offending lyrics. Right now the only people offended by the lyrics in this video would be the Supreme Leader and his protege, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Anthem's creator said, "I produced this clip before the tragic passing of the King, Micheal Jackson. The innocent people of Iran needed a voice or an anthem to bring them together. This song was the perfect choice. Every verse beautifully described the pain amongst Iranian people, whilst his powerful voice demanded attention."

A tweet from an Iranian, @oxfordgirl (Location In the heart of Free Iran) Does anyone remember the police had had a 'Michael Jackson' patrol in 80s? They arrested men dressing like him.